It’s getting toward the end of the week and closing in on game time. I’m having medical stuff done so this is going to be short and sweet.
Here is the latest from Oddsshark.com. The line currently is SYR (-4.5). Funny though they predict the final score to be 30-28 ‘Cuse. That sounds very small to me; both the spread, the SYR point total and the margin of victory.
ESPN has SYR with a 75.6% chance of victory to 24.4%. That seems about right.
One big difference I noticed was the SYR was #12 in the nation for number of offensive plays. Pitt, of course, is #123 which means our offense sucks and theirs sustains drives that end in scores. If that holds then we have major problems.
I just think that their QB, Eric Dungy, is too good with his passing with 9 TDs to only 2 INTs… and he’s averaging 5.3 yards per carry on 64 carries, so he’s a good runner himself. Now, if that sounds familiar that is exactly the cloth PSU’s McSorley and UCF’s Milton are cut from and they put up 51 and 45 points respectively on our defense.
I’ll take the Orange with a bigger margin of victory.
Syracuse – 40 Pitt – 24
Note: After five game last season our QBs had thrown for 1,260 yards, 6 TDs and 4 INTs. This season Pickett and Town have passed for 758 yards with 5 TDs and 4 INTs.
Trust The Process!!
Go Pitt!
Pitt 35
Orangepeople 28
In dramatic fashion, Pitt’s new and improved 50 cent piece D, in its second unveiling, come up with 3 picks and some points.
Meanwhile, Houdini catches his first pass that he almost scores on as the unsuspecting oranges are unprepared for the new double wheel route.
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Good luck with the Medical Stuff Reed ! I think being a Pitt fan(and all that entails) for so long has worn on a lot of us. Mentally and physically.
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If not tomorrow then when??
Pitt 31
Syracuse 23
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Syracuse 42
Pitt 10
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Must win for Pitt
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Pitt wins 35-34. Houdini plays some snaps as well as Ford on offense.
3 orange turnovers are key.
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Traditionally these games are pretty close. Cuse lost a close one to Clemson last week. They will find the
Pitt defense much easier to score on.
Syracuse 33
Pitt 20
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The program direction that even dumb me can see suggests an easy one for Syracuse.
Them – 45
Us – 13
HCPN is not the answer and will not even get his shock the world win. I can’t believe the betting line. Putting 2 large on Syracuse to pay for season tickets waste of $$$. Should do more.
Houdini is not the answer(no lateral quickness much like Hall) and Pickett has a long way to go but this O-line will make that tough to have happen. You need to relax back there and KP doesn’t do that naturally and realIy can’t. I bet Patti leaves seeing no future if PN stays.
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Chris Peak has a 3-2-1 free article up on rivals. Goes over how everyone was wrong about Defense and Pickett being strengths this year. Does the comparison of Pickett to Peterman’s first year (Sound familiar) with some rationalization but doesn’t justify anything about why Defense is this bad.
Also predicts a win. I like Peak – but man he is really a cheerleader and if you listen to some of his podcasts prior to the season you would have thought Pitt was a top ten team.
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Well, we know that ‘not everyone’ felt as he says. I wrote many times our defense was going to be average at best and that the offense would be poor.
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Lock the Gates!!! I see Syracuse winning big it will be a repeat of the 2016 game, without Pitt doing much scoring. Syracuse 50 Pitt 17.
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Pitt gets the running game going with Ollison again, gives KP a little more time, corrects the dumb penalties, wins the turnover battle and still loses a close one 35-28.
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I put pesos on Cuse giving 4.5 and I lose…Orangemen 45 the “Mellow(WVU)Yellow” Panthers 42…..
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Syracuse 38 Pitt 31
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Love the new Pitt studio. Well done by the University.
Obviously Pitt is switching to the blue and yellow permanently. Nike is the hold up but it is happening.
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Reed, good luck with the medical situation.
Based on what I saw last week and the overall trend of this team, I’ve come to the conclusion that optimism is completely unwarranted. The one question is: What will be the final margin. Unfortunately, I feel it will be significant. Orange 40, Pitt 10. Pitt is better than this, but at the end of the game we will have further evidence that the Duzz has lost this team. If I were suiting up for Pitt I’d be asking myself, “Why do I want to put my physical well being at risk for a guy who can’t get us into a position to win?”
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Wow AFH couldn’t say it any body than this. My feelings exactly.
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Mucho thanks Altoona_Josh; it is good to know I am not alone in my thinking.
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I don’t think he has lost the team…I just believe he and they aren’t very good. 3.5M should be better in every way including clean program and good GPA’s and the big wins have provided cover.
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35-21 orange
How many blowout losses in one season are needed for nard dog to get the hook? I am expecting 4 but think nard is kept around, unfortunately.
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Syr 45
Pitt 3
I decided to go to the game only because I have so much money tied up in tickets. You can’t even sell them to scalpers at Game anymore.
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Hope all turns out well, Reed. Be thinking about you.
It’s really becoming harder to do predictions. I always want us to win, but I also think keeping the Duzz will only delay the inevitable.
Pitt 17
Cuse 42
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North Carolina was a “must” win. This would be a BIG win… if it were to happen.
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Syr 42
PItt 28
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Lock the gates I type that and start laughing.
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Just another Pitt Marketing blunder. It makes me chuckle because it sounds like something we discussed in Business Grad School on how not to do effective marketing.
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BTW, Mrs JoeKnew was at that strategic planning meeting yesterday. PG said “ when we talk strategic planning we are not looking for a mission statement. The University is strong and we know what our mission is.” Not quit sure how to take that. She, did, however have a lukewarm favorable impression, if that makes any sense. At least he knew everyone’s name.
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Joe Knew this made me laugh as well. So basically he said we don’t have a goal because we know our goal. No surprise the slogan is the “Lock the Gate”.
If we weren’t Pitt Fans it would be hard to believe anything could be done this backwards.
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Dungy will be slinging in the NFL next year..he and KP are both gamers- the comparison ends there…
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Does anyone on here believe Duzz’s Michigan State D will ever work in the ACC…Carolina game proved it doesn’t as the Heels had receivers wide-open all day and 13 of their players on suspension…that game was a new low under Duzz,,,sad thing is we probably haven’t hit bottom….
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Big B well said. We have 4 years of proof and counting that his vaulted defensive strategy doesn’t work.
Duzz is playing checkers and other teams have coaches playing chess.
Most of teams we have competed with and beat are teams that get down to Pitt’s level. If you want to play street ball Pitt is always good at that.
I.e. Miami could have spread us out but choose to play Big Ten type ball last year so we beat them.
We play VT close every year because they always try to line up and play smash when all they would have to do to blow us out is spread us out.
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I’ve told the story about how he deflected my very first question to him back in spring of ’15 when I asked point blank how he is going to adjust his defenses to the pass heavier ACC offenses and he blew me off when he scoffed “Offenses are offenses…we’ll play the same way”.
We’ve seen what happened with that…
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As to the delayed change in Uniforms. It’s funny how Uniform changes continue to be so DIFFICULT for Pitt and so easy for other Schools.
For the majority… it’s as simple as pulling a different jersey out of the dresser drawer.
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I just thought of another difference between Chryst and Narduzzi. When Chryst came, he cleaned house and played many of his young guys early. Many three and four year starters. Hardly any of Narduzzi’s recruits see the field early. He is losing with fifth year seniors and transfers. Another thing that hurts recruiting, come to Pitt and sit on the bench for three years. What happened to come here and you will play early and often?
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My wild guess — Pitt surprises the Orange 31–27.
Best wishes for you, Reed. We knew you had a good heart! 😊
Go Pitt.
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gc that’s a great point—we are recruiting too many projects when kids today do not see themselves as projects. So if a kid does not see themselves playing by year 2 why go to Pitt?? Really BAD recruiting strategy
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Pitt 21 Orangemen 17
Schedule was ranked as one of the worst in the country preseason even with a weak Coastal. At present look at the 1 loss teams in the Coastal, Duke, Syracuse, VT, Miami. COASTAL DOESN’T LOOK WEAK ANYMORE. It’s going to be long season.
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I predicted Pitt to beat Cuse before the season. Dungy is good and in a close one; Cuse 33 – Pitt 31.
Sad to say we start 2 – 4 going to South Bend. ND could lose at VT Saturday.
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48-27
Orange team wins.
Another offensive track meet with coach Pat screaming at waterboys along the sideline
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Going up against another spread offense seems pretty dire for this defensive unit. The line on this game opened at Syracuse -6 and now is down to -3.5 at vegasinsider.com. The logical and rational bet is Syracuse given Pitt’s inability to stop anybody this season. However, if I hadn’t watched a Pitt game this season, I would be all over the home dog. Syracuse is coming of a heartbreaking loss to Clemson after outplaying the Tigers for 55 minutes in Death Valley. Coming into a moribund house of empty yellow seats, I think this is a really tough spot for Syracuse in terms of getting the intensity up. There is a possibility of a Clemson hangover and that should help Pitt in this spot.
The last time a Syracuse team left Pittsburgh victorious was 2001. That was the year where Pitt lost 5 in a row after the rent-a-win and abandoned the shotgun to go back to the West Coast offense winning their final 6 games. If a bowl game becomes a reality this season, then I’m afraid this game is a MUST WIN. It is time to circle the wagons for the Fighting Narduzzi’s. Given the last two performances combined with a lift from homecoming week, the Panther’s should come out with their hair on fire in order to salvage the season. They need to ride the emotion and running game in the first half and hold on for dear life as Syracuse comes charging back. If it doesn’t happen this week, I think the season will go south very quickly. Nothing surprises me with this group anymore. Pitt 31 – Syracuse 30 as I am counting on a Cuse letdown.
P.S. Can somebody get the blue correct on the new color scheme. They are not McNeese St. or San Jose St. for god sake.
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I’ll be donning the correct colors on Saturday
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I’ll be heading out soon and wanted to wish you well Reed, take care buddy, relax and get ready to feel better. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.
Lot’s of great points in the prediction article today. I saw and felt a difference in the defense last week. Too bad it did not show on the scoreboard or stat sheet. Way way too many penalties for a PITT team that has mostly played with discipline under PN…. and this just in… UCF is darn good. So is Cuse, so after all the talk about the OOC, I’m now thinking playing UCF may have been a good thing. ??
I’m thinking PITT will play a tighter game and eliminate the mistakes that put them in bad field position. Also, PITT will control the ball better and wind the clock down so I expect a lower scoring game than some others… This is my honest to goodness feeling and prediction so I do not want scolded over predicting a PITT win. …
I’m going to say Dungey gets dinged up and PITT takes advantage while holding onto the ball and PITT will hang on also to win.
PITT 28
Cuse 27 ……….. Now this is great news for all you that put an ice cream cone on Cuse. It means you win. I’m never right in these predictions.
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The problem is that Pitt is losing with both their O and D line play every week. That makes it really tough on those playing behind those lines. This week will be no exception the Cuse 31 Pitt 13.
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Josh and Zach, hope you stop by for a bit..
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Fran I plan on stopping by buddy. Zach is working but I decided I am taking my family to the game. My wife and kids plus my Dad will be there.
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Pitt Wins! 28~27.
Don’t ask me to explain how this happens. That’s almost like trying to explain why Pitt has failed in athletics for the last 35 years and why our academic rankings are slipping because of it too. Pitt doesn’t understand that high performing athletic teams, lead to an increase in applications, which leads to better pools of students, which leads to better research and higher academic standing. One feeds the other.
Let’s look at the AD. She was not brilliant by firing Stallings. Each of us here would have done that too, some earlier.
She then did her best to hire Hurley. He with no P5 experience. She got used by Hurley and didn’t even know it. Thankfully, he took his plan “B”. She whiffed. Thank goodness, Capel has achieved P5 success. He will do well.
She re-hired Narduzzi. Repeat. She re-hired Narduzzi. The only reason for doing so was either because she owed him a favor for fully backing her hire at Pitt and tripling her salary, or, she made a terrible decision in her re-hire. Either way, that’s a big fail in my book. That is on the AD. Sorry. Football is 7-10 under her watch and trending down. Hope is not a plan. That is why I can’t support my victory prediction above. I have no plan on how we can win.
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BTW, great picture up top…. Another name change for HUFF Iii priceless!! Mr Dobolini pleased…
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PITTMAN4EVER’S PREDICTIONS:
Reed will come thru his surgery successfully and will have a slow recovery due to the seriousness
of the operation. (Sincerely praying to the Lord on your behalf Reed).
After 4 years our Panthers have proven to us (with clear evidence) that formidable and not so formidable QB’s tear us up on a regular basis. The facts also reveal that our offense is weak and the Orange Peels offense is strong. Hence, I can only see one conclusion:
PITT: 23 Orange Peel: 41
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How does anyone see Pitt scoring 3 or more TD’s in a game is beyond me. D is not good and O is bad on this Pitt team.
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I think Pitt will shore a few things up this week but Syracuse’s offense will be too much for Pitt’s blundering secondary. They put up 21 on the road against a really tough Clemson D. It all hinges on if Pickett can show any reason why he should be the leader of this team. He needs protection and needs to make plays when he has some time. I say Syracuse 33 Pitt 20. But Pitt will look better in this loss.
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Question:
If we lose to Syracuse, why not bench all the seniors, start the young guys and play for next year?
What do you have to lose?
Why not lose with the young guys and get them experience for next year.
Otherwise next year we have 4 new starters on the O-line, just like this year, 2 new defensive linemen, three new linebackers, although Brightwell started last year.
If Narduzzi is not canned this year, he certainly will be next year, unless he wins eight games so why not role the dice. How much worse could it be?
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Seems like Hargrove has been playing a decent among at guard.
And I noticed Gabe Houy in at tackle last game – but don’t know how much he played…
Go Pitt.
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Prediction – the seniors will see the bench after the 1st qtr and the score at 14-0 with 5 penalties on Pitt.
The young players will compete with the cuse speed and actually make a game of it.
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Honestly the chances are strong that we lose the rest of our games. My guess is we will only be favored vs VA. Roll the Dice!
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The Orange will CRUSH Pitt
Syracuse 35
Pitt 20
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People are forgetting that Clemson played a great chunk of that game with their 3rd team QB. Keep in mind two things, Cuse still lost and an inexperienced QB can make a defense look bad, which was the case against Clemson. We can also look closer to home and say the same thing… …. but Pickett breaks out this week…PITT and the fans will be on KP duty this weekend and will like peeling the orange… ike
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Fran I’ll have to stop at the next tailgate. I will not be going to this game trying to finish up some jobs before the weather turns cold.
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gc @11:08,
The Duzz will not not sit down the starters and play the young guys BECAUSE he is in survival mode
to KEEP HIS JOB! That is, I fear, his number #1 propriety at this time!!!!!!!!
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Correct. Plus, if by some crazy chance he gets canned at end of the year, he’s still working for his next job.
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I’m not so sure good buddy Jim, he can’t sit down a 5th senior who stuck it out and isn’t really the problem. Like has been discussed though. Plenty of young kids playing and the good news, they are very young and have a few years left in their eligibility. I did my three S’s and finally am out the door!
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I agree…that and he needs a bowl game bad.
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Ok Zach…I assumed you were coming with Josh. My bad. Maybe catch you at Duke game…Pitt is promoting
It as family day. Haha
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I actually think if he replaced all the 5th year players with young guys right now it would be much tougher for Heather to replace him. The excuse will be “you can’t judge me on this year’s results, we lost because young guys were playing, so next year will be our year! You have to bring me back to finish what I started.”
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He only wins two games for the season, and that is a very real possibility,, he gets replaced no matter who he plays.
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I think that this game is as close to a must win for Pitt as it gets. If they lose, things will really start to unravel. I think that Pitt will pull this game out by a score of 31-28.
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SYR put up 4 sacks on the Clemson OL. They will beat that tomorrow.. Dingy may put up 300 yards on us. Sorry, this Pitt team has fundamental flaws.
The prediction thread last week had a bunch of Pitt upsets…but I don’t think Heinz carries a real home field advantage and SYR has a better HC than ours.
Points to loss #4.
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First, best wishes Reed!
Regarding the game, who the heck really knows what’s going on?
I’m thinking another bad one-
Cuse 57
Pitt 20
Ugh!
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Predictions: Reed come out on top with his medical procedures. Pitt gets stomped, again. – Hobie, a tortured soul
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Orange 43, Pitt 20, and I have no idea how we get to 20 unless we get turnovers. I’m going to say it again, as mediocre as this defense is, the offense has been the lesser unit this year, and I’m not talking about the OL or QB, just overall lack of direction, ala the Chaney year. The team lacks discipline and seems to operate like a rudderless ship. Could this turn around any day now, yes,but I have no sense of when or if this will happen, and my guess is it will not. I’ll be rooting for me to be wrong, and if so, it won’t be the first time.
Basketball season is now one week closer.
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Will be interesting to see if Mack plays this weekend.
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SYR 41
Pitt 17
Was Heather sincere in supporting the football program’s direction?
Or was that because she had a sit-down with PN and gave him an ultimatum?
Maybe we should start doing women’s vball game threads. At least they win.
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In every movie version of the Titanic, it sinks in the end. Narduzzi’s inability to grasp that now in his fourth year passing teams are still picking this defense apart. Syracuse will do so as well. Syracuse 42 Pitt 24.
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Syracuse 48. Pitt 28.
Pitt plays them tough for 2, maybe 3 quarters, and then ‘locks the brakes’.
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But Narduzzi is on one of the lifeboats with the women and children. He wont go down with the ship.
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National ranking in yards per pass attempt.
1.) Kyler Murray 13.4 YPA. 5 wins, 0 losses
2.) Tua Tagovaiola, 13.2 YPA, 5 wins, 0 losses.
3.) Will Grier, 10.9 YPA 4 wins, 0 losses.
4.) Mitchell Guadagni, 10.7 YPA, 2 wins, 2 losses. Hasn’t started MAC play yet.
5.) Zach Thomas, 10.5 YPA, 3 wins, 1 loss, should be 4-0!
6.) Justin Herbert, 10.4 YPA, 4 wins, 1 loss
7.) Jake Fromm, 10.2 YPA, 5 wins, 0 losses.
…
108.) Kenny Pickett – 6.1 YPA. 2 wins, 3 losses.
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34-17 Syracuse
PN postgame: “if it wasn’t for the 11 penalties and three turnovers we were right in that game”
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I’ll stick with my prediction from last week, which proved to be true: “Pain”. And which also applies to my current drive across route 80, as I sit in bumper to bumper traffic on my way in to Pittsburgh for the game.
Looking forward to seeing Iek, Fran, Joe and others at the POV tailgate.
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Some calling ‘Cuse a “must” win. Nope.
North Carolina was a must win. This would be a BIG win… IF… it were to happen.
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Syracuse 42 – Pitt 20
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Fran,
Sounds like you will have a well attended POV Tailgate!
To all, have FUN and be SAFE!
Wish I was there!
Jim (Pittman4ever)
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Yet another terrible match up for our defense. Syracuse will pick us apart. Narduzzi will stick to his defensive schemes regardless. Offense will sputter due to 4 or 5 sacks and a couple of picks. Final score:
Cuse: 42
Pitt: 17
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Cuse – 38
Pitt – 16
Pickett still can’t run because of his bad knee. Maybe I need to up that Cuse score…
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LOL with Ike. It wasn’t a name change, rather I typed that fiasco on my phone and I have big fingers and was just too lazy to make the changes…kind of like our Coach.
We are almost at a point in the season where all true freshman can finish out the games without losing eligibility. Under the new rule, every freshman can play in up to 4 games. I would play each and every one of them in 4 games just so I could evaluate them and give them correctable coaching for the player to take with them into the offseason training program. Last year, we should have played the young guys to get them the experience (good and bad) and gave them the proper amount of film to study so that each one could have improved before this season started. Kids learn from watching. The great ones learn more from watching themselves fail and having successes. You learn from both.
There is one thing that we read in all of the recruits quotes when they signed with Pitt, and that was that early playing time helped them make a decision to come here….but they sit! It is a slippery slope.
Some youngsters I have seen play, a lot: Shocky Jacque, Twyman, Michael Smith, Pinnock, Mathis, Houy, Butleer Jenkins
Some I want to see play a lot since the season is in the pot – FORD, Salhuddin, DL Morgan, WDavis, Alexandre. Coleman, MWilliams,Tallandier, Al Tucker, Cam Bright, Palmer, Nunn and Bentley, Kradel, Lynn and Drexel, Drake Zubovec and Warren. Bright and Baldonado..danielson and mimes.
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If I’m not mistaken, last time Syr visited Pitt and walked away with a victory was 2001.
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Wife broke her foot but I will be there and at Frans. 1st time
54-53 Cuse on a missed extra point in OT
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Pitt–35@Cuse–24
That was painless! Maybe thoughtless! For sure worthless! H2P
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God bless you Reed! Praying for a smooth experience for you.
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ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK AND BLUE: PITT punches SYR in the mouth. 27-20
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Special K above.
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Special K above.
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I will be stopping by the tailgate tomorrow…I have an extra ticket – North Club – I’ll have it with me if anyone can use it.
Going out on a limb here…Panthers bounce back in the upset – 31-28.
H2P
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I’ve got 3 extra Tix tomorrow, if anybody wants them. Just text me (717} 576-8748 and we can figure it out.
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A little old and a little over-simplified.. but still somewhat accurate..
https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2017/10/17/steigerwald-athletics-academics/
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Nice pic of the lads and Mrs. Richman from the UNC tailgate!
Haven’t seen anything this season to suggest we can beat a good QB.
Barring turnovers, untimely penalties, etc. by Cuse, Dungy should light us up.
Hard to say how our O will do. A lot will depend on starting field position and self-inflicted mistakes (penalties). Will be a long day for KP unless the OL responds.
48-10 Syracuse.
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Pitt does cheat by faking injuries….
But yes many of the elite schools have become elite by cheating and many of the power schools play in the gray.
With a Compliance AD, Pitt will never break the ‘rules.’
Its more of an issue with basketball.
Pitt cheated with the best of them back in the 70’s and early 80’s. Those days are never coming back.
So Pitt will have to learn how to compete just like many other successful schools who dont cheat and who have high academic standards.
It can be done with the right coach.
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I too have an extra ticket. .
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Syracuse 145
Pitt 34
Seriously
Syracuse 42
Pitt 30
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Dan 72 and Tommymac, looking forward to seeing you today.
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Syracuse is over rated – look at who they have played.
Pitt figures enough out on offense
Pitt 35
Syracuse 31
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They said that Central Florida didnt play anyone either
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Pitt wins 29-28
QO punches it in for 2 to win it at the end after a 200 yard rushing day.
The D does enough to keep cuse to one score per qtr and Pitt leads 21-14 at the half with the O consuming the clock.
Pitt scores its highest point total in the 2nd half with 8 and it comes on the last drive of the game.
H2P!
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Georgia tech 66 louville 33 last night, very intresting.
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The Ville is a train wreck this season, even before this loss last night.
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I think the offense shows up but we have no chance against their offense.
Cuse 45 Pitt 28
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FSU, UConn and Clemson is almost as good a three game stretch as our top three games so far and they won two and had a close loss to the #3 team.
Pitt on the other hand played two rated teams and lost both by an average of 37 points.
Not sure what you are thinking….
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I have some reservations concerning my pick. I’m concerned Pitt can score 17 points. Syracuse should dominate both lines, making this the game I’m concerned about Pickett’s health. That said, honestly KP has had an awful year so far. It may be the scheme, it may be he’s really hurt and limited mobility wise, it might be the line, or it might be receivers who cannot create separation, but accuracy and downfield throws have basically sucked. I fear for his health today, and for the health of the program as well. I hope I’m absolutely wrong!
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One thing I’ve noticed is that when our running game is working it is because we are using “miss direction” plays where it appears we are going one way but fool the D by going the opposite. This only works for so long and then because we are not a “smash mouth” O where our OL can beat anybody with straight up blocking, we get rendered ineffective. So yes, as a one time OLineman myself (100 years ago), it is clear to me we can not effectively pass block to protect KP, or effectively dominate the line of scrimmage to run the ball. And this, my POV friends, is not good.
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I remember before the season some posters were posting frequently that Kenny was going to make the OL better, the WR’s better, TE’s better and last but not least make Watson look better.
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This tread will have many more comments if we lose. A win today will save me reading time.
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https://player.fm/series/the-fan-morning-show/pitt-football-color-analyst-pat-bostick-kyy7gSTCjktPGTeo
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Pitt vs Syracuse… Not complicated.
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Anybody still holding to the idea of Narduzzi being… if not a “Guru”… just capable as a Defensive Coach… today is REALITY CHECK Day.
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This is the minimum that I would expect today( and any day)
1) the team plays hard for 4 quarters and is competitive ( its amazing I have to write that about this game)
2) they don’t make bonehead plays, take stupid penalties, and shoot themselves in the foot
3) on defense, they actually stop someone, versus hoping the other guys stop themselves!
4) on offense they do something less predictable, like throwing downfield or to the tight end or stack or bunch formations.
5) that they seem well prepared, as they are playing the same type of offense they’ve seem the past 2 weeks.
5) that they give up less than 350yds in the air.
6) that we actually make some halftime adjustments and they work.
I guess that’s all, and I don’t think it’s too much to expect, but boy, that Syracuse front scares me and I do worry about KPs health!
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And Players like Damar Hamlin… much the same. Nowhere to hide today. The way ‘Cuse spreads out and runs its Offense, EVERYTHING is going to be in plain view.
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Game thread drafted and will post up at 11:45…
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Syracuse 42
Pitt 24
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BJ, re: Pickett
And some writers were cautioning against too high expectations.
I mentioned many times that in 66 attempts he threw only 1 TD last year and that on a trick shovel pass. He really didn’t light up the joint with his passing. He had 7.0 yards per attempt which was OK and a very good 13.0 yards per completion.
That last was nice but a bit misleading as he completed mostly shorter passes but had some great YAC by his receivers…Weah’s 74 yard reception against VT is a great example of that.
What opened everyone’s eyes was his running ability. Well, this year he’s not taking anyone by surprise with that skill and opposing defenses are ready for it.
Pickett was about average as D1 QBs go last season but because he was a true FR it was magnified…and coming off a season where QB play was dismal overall Pitt fans wanted a real star at the position and what we got was a SO QB with growing pains.
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Orange 47-21
Have fun all attending! Hope it works out much better than I think it will
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Here are a few things to read while you wait.
From the P-G:
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2018/10/04/pitt-syracuse-football-kenny-pickett-twitter-pittsburgh-panthers-quarterback-criticism/stories/201810040115
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2018/10/05/pitt-syracuse-odds-matchup-football-2018-pat-narduzzi-kenny-pickett-eric-dungey/stories/201810050120
From the Trib:
https://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/14149679-85/improving-syracuse-big-challenge-for-pitt
https://triblive.com/sports/columnists/timbenz/breakfastwithbenz/14148233-74/pitts-kenny-pickett-has-a-qb-to-emulate-in-syracuses-eric-dungey
From The Pittt News:
https://pittnews.com/article/136043/sports/prediction-orange-to-squeeze-out-victory-over-panthers/
https://pittnews.com/article/136096/sports/what-are-the-odds-orange-you-glad-you-didnt-bet-on-pitt/
From The City Paper:
https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/pitt-game-is-bad-business-for-penn-state-football/Content?oid=10435928
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Orange 50 – 13
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“Today is the day Kenny (Pickett) has to grow up. He has to grow up and play better than he has been playing today.”
Pat Bostick 93.7 The Fan
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From SI:
https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/10/05/acc-coaches-hot-seat-georgia-tech-louisville-unc-pitt
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https://www.si.com/vault/1983/11/21/622222/any-of-us-might-have-done-it
i forgot about this. Tragic
The football culture has changed since then
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This team is hard to watch!
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Great team win.
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Yes great win for the players. Beating Syracuse and the coaching staff is a great win. Coleman somehow can’t play over Briggs?
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